Sixes tourney taking shape - May 2015

DONE DEAL: Freedom2Play's owner Pushkar Kilkarni and Wanganui senior representative cricketer (and former WHS student) Ryan Slight shake on the company securing naming rights for the NZ Club Champs Cricket 6s.

Rules have been set and financial backing secured as preparations continue for the NZ Club Champs Cricket 6s tournament this coming summer.

The sixes tournament will be held on the Wanganui Collegiate School pitches, from January 1-3 next year.

Teams will play innings lasting five overs, with four fielders, a wicketkeeper and the bowler. Each member of the team except the wicketkeeper will bowl an over, the match lasting 45 minutes in total.

Event organiser Cricket Nation hopes to have an elite grade for former first-class cricketers, and a mix of other grades for youth, women and over-40 masters.

Directors Rob Bannister and partner Petera Hudson said cricket gear company Freedom2Play, corporate name Aquila NZ, is the naming rights sponsor. "We were in real danger of looking outside of Wanganui due to the temptation of public and private-sector support in various regions throughout New Zealand, including purpose-built venues," said Bannister in a press release.

"However, we are committed to bring the NZ 6s Club Champs to our home city and the venue at Wanganui Collegiate allows us to deliver a top-class event at a boutique and iconic venue. Securing a naming rights sponsor this far out gives us the ability and capacity to deliver what Petera and I have discussed as our vision, delivering a world-class sixes event in our home city."

Teams and umpires will wear uniforms created for the tournament, with other innovations to include coloured stumps and boundary markers, fluro-orange playing balls, marquee areas and live entertainment around the games.

Bannister said the event would be for cricket purists and "non-purists" alike: "A real carnival atmosphere that every single age group can enjoy whether you like the game of cricket or not, right here on our back doorstep."

Wanganui Chronicle article on 4/5/15.